********************************************************** Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, March 11, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date Completed: January 31, 2000 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, LITTLE ZACCHAEUS *********************************************************** Lesson Aim: Choosing Jesus as a friend leads us to make things right. Memory Verse: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - MIRACLE CHANGES FINGER LOOPS Materials needed: Pipe cleaners Colored foam (comes in sheets; available at craft stores) (green, brown, yellow & black) Picture of a lizard, snake, butterfly and praying mantis (these will be used as patterns) Scissors Glue WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Using the pictures of the insects and reptiles above, trace or draw their shapes onto the colored foam. Trace two shapes for each child: (The two shapes will be glued together to make one insect or reptile.) 1. Lizard - trace one onto green and one onto brown 2. Snake - trace one onto green and one onto brown 3. Praying mantis - trace one onto green and one onto brown 4. Butterfly - trace a butterfly shape onto yellow and a worm shape onto black Cut the shapes out. Punch a small hole in each shape where the pipe cleaner will insert through so the shape becomes a finger loop. (Don't cut the pipe cleaners until class time when you can measure their little fingers.) WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Talk to the children about how the lizard, snake, caterpillar and praying mantis can all change. Why do they change? How do they change? Who gave them the ability to change? Let's call these creatures God's miracle changers. Help each child make a miracle changer. Glue the two shapes together. Measure their finger and cut the pipe cleaner a little bigger so you can twist it. Have them insert the pipe cleaner through the matched-up holes in their creature, bend it down over their finger and twist it shut. (Children making caterpillars and butterflies can glue the black worm to one side of their butterfly or make two separate finger loops.) Ask the children the following questions: 1. Have you ever seen a selfish little girl turn into a sharing little girl? That's a miracle change from Jesus. 2. Have you ever seen a mean bully boy turn into a kind, loving boy? That's a miracle change from Jesus. We can be miracle changes too just like the creatures we made today. A miracle change happened to the man in our Bible story today. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - LOOKING FOR THE LOST (MEMORY VERSE) Materials needed: A half pint of milk or juice for each child (Must be cardboard containers, no glass) 4 pieces of construction paper for each child (Cut the same size as the sides of the milk container) Glue Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Check ahead with your parents whether or not their child can drink milk or juice during Sabbath school. If the entire class cannot 100% participate, empty the milk or juice out of the containers before class time. Wash and dry the containers thoroughly. Cut the construction paper into four pieces of equal size to be used to cover the sides of the container. On one piece of construction paper write, "The Son of Man. On another piece of construction paper write, came to seek. On a third piece of construction paper write, and to save. On the fourth piece of construction paper write, what was lost." Luke 19:10. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Show the children where the memory verse is found in the Bible. Talk about what it means to be lost. Give each child a milk or juice container. Ask them if they have ever seen children's pictures on the milk containers. Usually you see the word, missing, and then a description of a lost child. Being lost usually means not being able to see someone or be with someone you love and trust. There's another Bible meaning to the word, lost. Jesus wants to be able to see us and be with us someday in Heaven. When people don't love Jesus or don't care about being with Him the Bible says they are lost. Only Jesus knows who are lost like that. In our Bible story today Jesus shows us how he found a lost man, Zacchaeus. He showed Zacchaeus He loved him, forgave Zacchaeus's sins and told Him how he could turn into a miracle change. There were things in Zacchaeus's life that had to be different, and Jesus showed him and helped him make those changes. Isn't Jesus a wonderful friend? Give each child their four pieces of construction paper to glue onto the sides of their container. They are to take the containers home and look for lost items that can be put into the container and brought back to Sabbath school next week. Look under couches, beds in closets etc. for small items that have been lost. When they return with the containers next week they can share with each other what they found, how long it had been missing and how they felt when they found it. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - MIRACLE CHANGE MIMES Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Explain to the children that there are many little miracle changes Jesus is happy to do for us if we ask Him. Some changes like the praying mantis and the lizard happen quickly. Some changes, like the worm to a butterfly happen more slowly. Whether we see changes quickly or whether it takes longer we can know that as long as we ask Him to Jesus is happy to help us with those changes. You, the teacher, act out the scenario's under column A and call for a volunteer to act out what a boy or girl will be like after Jesus' miracle change. (Column B) Column A Pretend to be a selfish child who doesn't want to share Pretend to be a child who treats his pet meanly Pretend to be a child who talks rudely to an adult Pretend to be a child who makes fun of others Pretend to be a child who cheats at games Column B The child should act out how to share The child should pretend to care gently for a pet The child should show how to talk respectfully The child should say something about looking for the good in others The child should act out how to be a good loser The class will probably be able to come up with their own ideas of miracle changes that Jesus can do. Help them in their understanding that Jesus is the only one who can actually make the changes, but they must ask for His help. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE -MIRACLE CHANGE SONG Materials needed: Piano player OR cassette recorder and pre-recorded tape Music to Whisper a Prayer WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) If using a tape player, pre-record the tune of Whisper a Prayer 3-4 times onto a cassette tape. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Teach the children the following alternate verse to the tune of Whisper a Prayer Jesus has promised to change me If I just ask Him to And I believe He can do just that My heart He can make brand new Sing the song waving the finger loops that were made during the Getting Their Attention Activity.